Photos of today's state funeralKEY POINTS:
Today's state funeral for Sir Edmund Hillary was filled with anecdotes and memories of his life.
Here are some of them:
"My father was always so strong and able to solve any problems, so it was a terrible shock to realise he was also very fragile.
"When I
saw him in Kathmandu after my mother and sister died it was as if everything had been sapped out of him...but again it was his sheer determination and his wonderful friends that eventually pulled him out of it."
- Sarah Hillary
"He was a real family man. Throughout my whole life, even up to a couple of weeks ago at Christmas, there was nothing he liked more than having a gang of people around him, having a good time."
"The word modest has always been used to describe him... He practised what he preached and was the very embodiment of the word."
"Ed it was an honour and a privilege to have known you so well, the many hours that we have spent together will remain with me for the rest of time."
- Sam Mulgrew, Sir Edmund's grandson
"Growing up in the Hillary family, was quite an adventure...
"There was a growing apprehension, even fear, about where Dad was going to take us in the upcoming holidays.
"He took us to the most amazing places."
"Our trips to Nepal were wonderful adventures... These were wonderful experiences and I really commend this sort of thing to anyone. They were totally shared experiences - father, mother and three kids sharing truly wonderful times."
"I think Dad was a real people's hero. He was real, he was the genuine article."
- Peter Hillary
"His ordinariness translates into modesty, humility and a quality we can all relate to.
"He is the archetypal New Zealander. He never got away from us and I think it is that sense of being able to relate to this man, which we all have, is wonderful.
"He was accessible and that is a very distinctive New Zealand quality and I felt that today too.
"He was a real human being I liked. There was nothing negative about him."
- Former Governor-General Sir Paul Reeves
"His 'little boy' enthusiasm for life and adventure was irresistible.
"He loved having a laugh even if it was at himself."
- friend Jim Wilson
"He is our true guardian and our second father, but he has left us behind today," he said.
"His loss to us is bigger and heavier than Mt Everest."
- Ang Rita Sherpa
"Sir Ed opened our eyes to a world of possibilities."
"I still remember when I was young, first hearing the story of how my father and Sir Ed had climbed Mt Everest...I was enthralled
"When sherpas heard the news of his death, their grief spiralled into mourning only comparible to the death of a parent.
"Among sherpas, he is revered."
- Norbu Tenzing Norgay
"Sir Edmund Hillary's extraordinary life has been an inspiration to us as a nation, and to so many beyond our shores too,"
"As individuals we may not be able to match Sir Ed's abilities or strength, but surely we can all strive to match his humanity."
"The man who conquered the world's highest peak, endeared himself to New Zealanders with his pragmatism, humility and can-do spirit. He was an inspiration and role model to generations.
"We mourn as a nation because we know we are saying goodbye to a friend. He was a central part of our New Zealand family."
"He was a colossus. He was our hero. His values are timeless and they will endure."
- Prime Minister Helen Clark
"I think what we have seen over the past 10 days or so is an outpouring of not just respect and admiration but a real love of what Sir Ed represented.
"He was in so many ways the quintessential Kiwi, people have written about him being the person who New Zealanders most identified with through their psyche... in many ways I think he summed up, he represented the ideal New Zealander for us - brave, courageous, humble, with it, humane, compassionate, service to the community. That's a pretty phenomenal, pretty colossal person."
- Prime Minister Helen Clark to Radio New Zealand
"In 1985 I was fortunate enough to be able to organise and lead a trip to the North Pole that included Sir Edmund Hillary along with Neil Armstrong, Steve Fossett, and Peter Hillary among others. One of the members was Betty Wolfe from Arizona who suffered through the trip with a pair of arctic gloves that had the thumbs sewn in incorrectly (backwards).
"Both Sir Edmund and Neil Armstrong wrote a note for her to present when she returned the gloves to the manufacturer. Sir Edmund's statement went in part "With gloves like these I would have never made it to the summit of Mt. Everest", while Neil Armstrong wrote "With gloves like these I would have never made it to the moon".
"I like to think that perhaps both Steve and Sir Edmund are up there somewhere along side Betty still getting a chuckle out of that note!
- Michael Dunn, Nevada, USA (via email)
Video: Sir Edmund Hillary obituary
